Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-11-25

old UmslopogaaS WheJti1g MS ak outelue
the window as yulture wnetS ms oeaA
beside dying OK.
And in about an hours time Sir Henry
came tearing over, looking very radiant
and wildly excited, and found GOOD ana
myself and even Umslopogaas, and asked
us IL we should like TO assist at real
wedding OF course we said yes, and OH
we went TO the chapel, where we found
Agou looking as sulky as any high priest
possibIy could and no wonder. Ii appear
ed that he and Nyleptha had had . slight
difference of opinion about the coming
ceremnny, lie had fatiE- Ee-aseel 70 csL 4-
brate it. or TO allow any OF his priests TODD
so. whereupon Nyleptha became very an
grv. and told him that she, as Queen, was
head of the Church. and meant 10 be obey
ed. Indeed, she played the part OF Lu-
Vendi Henry VIII. to perfection, and IN
sisted that if she wanted TO be married
she would be married, and he should marry
her.
He still refused to go through the cere-
monv. so she clinched her argument thus
'sWell, cannot execute a High Priest,
because there is an absurd prejudice
against it, and ] cannot imprison him, be-
cause all his subordinateS would raise
CRYING that would bring the stars down on
Zu-Vendis and crush il, but l can leave
him to contemplate the altar of the Sun
without anything to eat, because that IS
his natural vocation, and if thou wilt not
before the altar yOnder, with naught but a
little water, till such time as thou hast re-
considered the matter"
Now as it happened, Agon had been hur-
ried away that morning without his break
fast. and was already exceedingly hungry,
so he presently mod ted his views and
consented to marry them, saying at the
same time that he washed his hands OF all
responsibility in the matter
So it happened that presently, attended
l. E,,,rz
the Queen Nyleptha, with happy. blushing
face and downcast eyes, dressed in pure
white, without embroidery of any sort, as
seems to be the fashion on these occasions
in most countries of the world. She did
not wear a single ornament; even her gold
circlets were removed, ana thought that,
if possible, she looked more lovely than
ever without them, as really superbly beau
tiful women do.
She came, curtseyed low to Sir Henry,
and then took his hand and led him up be-
fore the altar, and after little pause, in
slow clear voice uttered the following
words, which are customary in Zu-Nendis
If the bride desires and the man consents:
Thou dost swear by the Sun that thou
wilt take no other woman to be thy wife
unless lay my hand upon her and bid heI
Gomez"
II swear it," answered Sir Henry; add,
ing in English, lone is quite enough fol-
me-"
Then Agon, who had been sulking in
corner near the altar, came forward and
gabbied off something into his beard al
such a rate that | could not follow II, but
it appeared to be an invocation TO the Sun
to bless the union and make it fruitful.
observed that Nyleptha listened very close
~ to every word, and afterwards discover
ed that she was afraid lest AGOn should
play her trick, and by going through the
invocations backward divorce instead OF
marry them. At the end of the invoca-
tons they were asked as in our service, IL
they took each other for husband and wife,
and on their asserting they kissed each
other before the altar, and the service was
over so far as their rites We're concerned.
But it seemed to me that there was yet
something wanting, and so | produced
prayer-book, which has, together with the
tIngoldsby Legends" that / often read
when l lie awake at night. accompanied
me in all my later wanderings. | gave it
to my poor boy Harry years ago, and after
his death | found it among his things and
took it back again.
Curtis" | said, 81 am not a clergyman,
and do not know if what / am going to
propose is allowable-I know it is not legal
but if you and the Queen have no objec-
ton / should like to read the English mar
riage service over YOU 1t is solemn step
which you are taking, and think that you
ought, as far as circumstances will allow,
to give it the sanction of your own relig-
ion"
II have thought of that" he said, "and
wish you would. / do not feel half mar
ried yet"
Nyleptha raised no objection, fully I'M
derstanding that her husband wished to
celebrate the marriage according to the
rites prevailing in his own country, and
so | set to work and read the service from
Dearly beloved" to 'amaZement," as well
as ] could; and when | came to Il, Henry,
take thee, Nyleptha, " [ translated, and also
81, Nyleptha, take thee, Henry" which
she repeated after me very we'll, Then
Sir Henry took a plain gold ring from his
little finger and placed it on hers, and 50
on to the end
After the ceremony, Good and I went
and ate our dinner in silence and then in
dulged in an extra fine fiagon of old Zu-
emily one of our attendants came and told
a story that gave us something to think
about.
1t may, perhaps, be remembered that af-
ter his quarrel with Umslopogaas, Al
phonse had gone Off in an exceedingly i'll
temper to Sulk over his scratches. Well,
it appears that he walked right past the
Temple of the Sun, down the wide road on
the further side of the slope it crowns, and
thence into the beautiful park, or pleasure
garden, which are Laid out just beyond the
outer wall. After wandering about there
IOr II niue ne started TO return, out WAS
met near the Outer gate by Sorais' train of
chariots, which were galloping furiously
along the great northern road. When she
caught sight of Alphonse, SOrais halted
her train and called to him. On approach
ing he was instantly seized and dragged
into one of the chariotS and carried off,
crying out loudly" as our informant said,
and as from my general knowledge of him
| can well believe.
Well that night Good and messed, as
| have said, in solitary grandeur, feeling
very much as though we had just returned
from burying a friend instead of marry
ing one, and next morning the work be-
gan in good earnest The messages and
orders which had been despatched by Ny
leptha two days before now began to take
effect, and multitudes of armed men came
pouring into the city. We saw, as may be
imagined, but very little of Nyleptha and
not too much of Curtis during those next
few days, but Good and | sat daily with
the council of generals and loyal lords,
drawing up plans of action, arranging
commssariat matters, the distribution of
commands, and a hundred and one other
things. Men came in freely, and all the
day long the great roads leading to Milosis
were spotted with the banners of lords ar
irving from their distant places to rally
round Nyleptha.
After the first two days it became clear
that we should be able to take the field
with about forty thousand infantry ana
twenty thousand cavalry, very respecta-
BILE force considering how short was the
time we had to collect it, and that about
half of the regular army had elected TO fol-
low SOraiS.
But if our force was large, Sorais' was
according to the reports brought in day by
day by our spies, much larger. She had
taken up her headquarters at very strong
town called NJ Arstuna. situated, as have
said, to the north of Aiilosis, and all the
countryside was f1ocking to her standard
Nasta had poured down from his highlands
and was on his way to join her with no
mountainous, the most terrible soldiers
TO face in all Zu-Nendis Another mighty
lord, named Belusha, who lived in the
great horSe-breeding district, had come in
with twelve thousand cavalry, and so on.
lndeed, what between onethiug- and a.
other, II seemed certain thds She would
gather a fully armed host of nearly one
hundred thousand men.
And then came news that she was pro
post2E to hceah-L.o ACc camn and Elarchon
the FroTninG Guy Itself, u6SoIatIng the
country az she came. Thereon arose the
question w4ether L would be best to meet
her at MtlosiS or 20 90 out anu give her
battle. When our opinion was asked upon
the subject, Good and / unhesitatingly
gave il IN favor of Az advance. If we We're
TO shut ourselves up il the city and wait
To be attacked It seemed to us that our III
action would be set down to fear.
To be continued.
Silver Weddings inFranee,
Silver marriages are very pleasing fes-
rivals in France. When couple have
rou1 pleta tvpntv-fiya vears of married